Whether you’re a long-time fan of The Witcher 3 or just starting out, what weapons you’ll use in your playthrough is surely at the forefront of your mind. With such an immersive world that boasts a large assortment of weapons, it’s only natural to be curious what you should use to slay the monsters you encounter.

But which weapon is the best to pick? This all depends on the play-style you choose. It’s also a well-known fact that Geralt sports two swords crossed on his back – steel and silver – which means you have two different kinds of swords to look out for. With this list of the best weapons ranked, you’ll be well on your way with your monster-hunting journey.

Updated October 31, 2023 by Quinton O'Connor: Why step blindly into the wonderful world of The Witcher 3 when you can choose your weaponry ahead of time? Here are our favorite blades (and more) for reminding Geralt's foes that he's not to be taken lightly.

15 Ursine Crossbow

The crossbow is often forgotten about because it's not one of the main weapons used in the game. You'll only use the crossbow usually when you're fighting against underwater opponents or trying to knock a monster out of the air, otherwise, it's not going to be a great help on the battlefield.

That said, there are a couple of different kinds of crossbows in the game and one of the best is easily the Ursine Crossbow, which can't be upgraded but has a very high attack of 210 percent.

14 Griffin Steel Sword – Mastercrafted

You can’t go wrong with the Witcher School swords. They have many additional effects that add to your overall damage output and abilities, that it’s always a good choice to stick with one of these. They also focus on specific areas, which help with the kind of build you’re going for.

In the case of the Griffin, it’s great for a mixture of magic and physical combat. It offers +20 percent sign intensity and +25 percent critical hit chance, giving this a whopper of a hit when utilizing your signs in combination with your weapon. You can find the crafting diagram east of Boxholm, in the ruins.

13 Longclaw Relic Steel Sword

Like some of the other swords in the game, the Longclaw Steel Sword comes in three varieties, common, relic, and crafted. The relic version is the best of the three, and you'll definitely want to get your hands on it if you're trying to collect the best weapons in the game.

It is found in one of the relic chests in the game located in Skelliege, Freya's Garden, and Hindarsfjall Island. It also helps add to the Yrden sign intensity and armor-piercing stats.

12 Harpy Relic Silver Sword

The Harpy Silver Sword is another great sword in the game but you do have to wait a little bit to use it since you can't until you reach level 37. It has a very high amount of damage, up to 523, and it also has an increased chance of causing bleeding in your enemies.

You can also add up to three different runes to this sword to make it even stronger. If you embark on the Wandering in the Dark quest with Keira you can find the diagram of this sword in a chest in the place you'll explore.

11 Feline Steel Sword – Mastercrafted

A product of the School of the Cat gear set, this sword features a focus on continual damage throughout the fight. It carries the effects of +10% critical hit chance and +15% chance to cause bleeding, which results in ongoing loss of HP even when not actively attacking the enemy. This makes this sword a perfect choice if you’re going for a more combat-based build, rather than magic. Like all Witcher school swords, it offers three slots for runes to add to your optimal fight style.

The diagram for this sword can be found inside Kaer Gelen, located in the northern mountains of Ard Skellig.

10 Ursine Steel Sword – Mastercrafted

The Ursine gear set belongs to the School of the Bear, so it’s unsurprising that the stats of this sucker focus more on brute force and physical damage. Not only does it have a +75 percent critical hit damage bonus, it also gives you +20 percent adrenaline point gain.

If you want to play as a hard-hitting, murder machine then this is the sword for you. The diagram for this weapon is located west of The Pellar’s Hut (found in Blackbough, Velen) in a cave.

9 Toussaint Steel Sword – Crafted

Second-best on the rank of steel swords, this blade packs a real punch. Just like the other damage-focused weapons, it carries a lot of the same effects – though it does add a +15 percent chance of burning. So why is this sword considered top-tier? Its ability to pierce armor is staggeringly high, coming in at +250.

It also has three slots available for runes, which allows you to continue with a damage build or add an extra boost to your signs if you want to go the magic route. To obtain this sword, you’ll have to have the Blood and Wine DLC, so you can find the loot. Thankfully, it's kind of hard to pick up The Witcher 3 these days without it including the expansions.

8 Gesheft Silver Sword

You won't be able to get the Gesheft Silver Sword until you're both at level 45 and playing the Blood and Wine expansion pack as it isn't available in the main game alone. The Gesheft Silver Sword is one of the best silver swords in the game, but you'll need to craft it.

To find the diagram, you will need to go toward Beauclair, but to the northeast, near the Dun Tynne Crossroads. Keep your eye out for a camp near a monster den, and you'll find a chest with the diagram inside of it.

7 Iris – Olgierd’s Sword

The best of the best in terms of steel swords. Unlike the other weapons mentioned, this doesn’t carry any of the same stats or effects. Its damage can be high, but that’s not why this sword comes in at number one. Instead, the reason for its rank is due to the unique pushback it gives – a shove that’s even stronger than Aard.

As you fight with the sword, energy will charge and as soon as the sword turns red, it will cause an energy explosion resulting in extra damage and partial loss of the enemy’s Vitality. In order to get this one, you’ll need the Hearts of Stone expansion to complete the quest “Whatsoever a Man Soweth…”.

6 Black Unicorn Relic Steel Sword

This particular sword is particularly beneficial for killing humans, and you'll need to reach level 46 before you're able to use this one. If you want to craft it, you'll have to find the diagram which is located near Kaer Morhen.

The sword will do a lot of damage against human opponents and has a very good chance of adding sign damage too. While the crafted version is great, if you can find the relic by looting a treasure chest guarded by a water hag near the Inn at the Crossroads, that version is even better.

5 Griffin Silver Sword – Mastercrafted

Unlike the steel swords, which are used for human opponents, the silver swords focus on taking down monsters. This is reflected not only in what Geralt automatically draws depending on the nearing enemy but also in the percentage of bonus experience awarded (in this case, +20 percent experience points from monsters).

Just like its steel counterpart, the Griffin is optimal if you’re going for a magic-based build due to its +20 percent sign intensity. Add on three runes and you’ve got yourself a powerful weapon! This diagram is found at Kaer Dhu in the Western Tower.

4 Feline Silver Sword – Mastercrafted

If you’re focusing on a magic build, the Feline sword gives another choice of weapon. Similar to the Griffin, it offers a boost to your magic. Instead of a general uplift to the signs, though, it gives a +15 percent upgrade to the Aard Sign. Add this onto the +25 percent critical hit bonus and the +10 percent chance of dismemberment, and you’ll be knocking down monsters like there’s no tomorrow. You can find the crafting diagram in a cave east of Harviken, Skellige.

3 Ursine Silver Sword – Mastercrafted

The power of the bear can be found in this sword, as it hits just as hard as the steel variation of this weapon. In terms of damage, the Ursine is a boss due to its +14 percent chance of dismemberment and +75 percent critical hit bonus. It also has the same +20 percent adrenaline point gain as the steel, which is really helpful if you choose to build out your mutant skills to utilize the Adrenaline Rush. If you want to add this to your weapon collection, head northeast of Olena’s Grove to the small island there.

2 Bloodsword

This sword is a relic and a fun weapon to use. Just like the Ursine and Feline swords, it has a focus on physical damage rather than the utilization of signs. It shares some of the same effects, too, such as critical hit damage and critical hit chance, but it also gives a +9%percent chance of bleeding along with a one-to-two percent chance of dismemberment. This sword is meant for hard-hitting kills, which lives up to its “bloody” name. To obtain this sword, you’ll have to complete a treasure hunt quest.

There are two that can result in this sword as loot: “Inheritance” and “Battlefield Loot”.

1 Aerondight

This is the Holy Grail of the silver swords. It’s commonly regarded as the best silver sword you can get in the game, though it does require you to have the DLC Blood and Wine. What makes this sword so OP? Every time you hit with it, its damage increases by 10%. Not only that, but if it’s fully-charged it will always critically hit your enemies. Even better? If the sword is fully-charged during the final blow, the damage will be permanently raised – damage that already starts at 522 of the HP. To get this amazing weapon, you’ll want to complete the quest “There Can Only Be One”, which has several requirements before it can be completed.

NEXT: The Witcher 3: Optional Side Quests From Blood And Wine You Should Follow Up On